Halaku (DTF)
The Halaku, also known as the Slayers, are one of the seven houses of Fallen in Demon: The Fallen. During the early years of Creation, the Slayers were the Elohim who served as bringers of death in order to make room for more life. The angels of the Seventh House were placed in a dilemma when humans were created, as they reacted to their new task with fear and sadness. Many joined the Rebellion for one simple reason: to be loved by those that feared them. The Slayers served as reluctant warriors, and instead focused on gathering the souls of the deceased until they were locked in the Abyss. Upon breaking free, the Slayers found death had continued unchecked in their absence, with countless souls passing on to realms unknown while the living suffered with the loss. Many now reason their only way to show their love for humanity is to guide the process of death once again so that it inflicts less harm. History Purpose The Seventh House was originally formed to make room for Creation to renew itself; they created the things that would be sacrificed so that all creatures could sustain themselves, grow, and change. Their purpose at first greatly confused the other Houses; after all, the Elohim were about Creation, so why were there suddenly angels with the sole purpose of bringing death? The answer revealed to some was God had a Second World planned, one that would be greater than the first one, and the Reapers were the first step in achieving that ideal. Most angels did not know of the Creator's plan and continued to view the Seventh House with suspicion and anger as they destroyed their creations. Those who did know were often resentful at being barred from this new aspect of reality. So, from the very beginning, the Angels of Death were never truly accepted by their fellow Elohim. Of all things on Earth, only humans, as God's perfect creation, were beyond the touch of the Reapers. That was fine with the Angels of Death, as they too loved humanity, even though they were distant and did not understand it. However, they were confused by the sad reactions Adam and Eve gave when something they grew attached to was taken by the Seventh House. The Angels of Death longed to ease the pain they were causing the Allmother and Allfather in the course of their duties. The Namtar and the Nergal were the only Reaper visages that existed in the beginning; both worked to recycle life, with the Namtar removing the life and form, and the Nergal returning the life to the universe. The highest of the Seventh House was the Silent Seraph; other titles included the Virtue of Shadows and the Throne of Repose. The Fall and The Curse A throne of the Seventh House named Usiel was one of the handful of angels to take part in the Great Debate. Frightened by Lucifer's words and the idea of acting with so little information, Usiel made the hard decision that those of his House should be allowed to choose their own fates in the coming troubles. He informed all Reapers of the possible rebellion, and then retreated to Heaven to allow them to make their own choice. During the Fall, the rebels of the Seventh House were the first to present themselves before Adam and Eve. Madisel came forth to explain that the fruit that Adam and Eve had just eaten had died so that they may be sustained, and that they caused that death out of love for them. As they were the first to step forward, they were also the first cursed by Michael. They become the Halaku, the Slayers; whereas humans were not touched by death before, now even humanity would fall under the sway of the Seventh House. The Rebellion When the Legions formed, many of the Halaku joined the Alabaster Legion, which was headed by one of their own, the archduke Azrael. They fought to keep the souls of humanity from Heaven, as when humans died they would be taken away, presumably the Second World now barred to the Slayers, never to be seen again. Some of these Slayers eventually became Ereshkigal, who went on to build Kâsdejâ and then Haven where those with unfinished business could safely dwell without being taken completely away from Earth. Key among those was Charon, who worked the hardest to save a mortal woman he loved from being lost to him forever. Common Traits Faction Alignments Slayers are often associated with the Cryptics or Reconcilers. Many feel responsible for the mortality of humans, and so they are driven to restore Creation as much as they can, or at the very least, seek out reasons for why things happen they way they did. Almost none are Luciferans; few felt great loyalty to the Morningstar in the first place, and did not concern themselves with winning the war. Some are Raveners, becoming obsessed with causing death. Weakness Slayers seem detached from the living world, finding many human concepts to be completely alien to them. In addition, though cautious and deliberate, once chosen a Slayer will defend any decision they make, rarely admitting to wrongdoing. References *DTF: Demon: The Fallen Rulebook, p. 25, 32, 38, 110-111 *DTF: Houses of the Fallen p. 169-177 Category:Houses (DTF) Category:Demon: The Fallen glossary